Video: In Baltimore, Andy Worthington Explains Why Obama Has Failed to Close Guantánamo, and David Swanson Discusses “War Is A Lie”

14.1.11

On Monday January 10, during my short US tour, on the 9th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, which was designed to publicize the plight of the remaining 173 prisoners, who have been largely abandoned by the law, and by the Obama administration (see “The Political Prisoners of Guantánamo“), I spent the morning in Washington D.C., having travelled there from New York the evening before with Debra Sweet, the National Director of The World Can’t Wait, who organized my trip to the US. At lunchtime on Tuesday, I met with Guantánamo attorneys to discuss possible strategies for the year ahead, and was then picked up by the prolific blogger and activist David Swanson, and taken to Russia Today, where we did a brief interview about gun control, which is posted below via YouTube.

We then headed off — with Debra — to Baltimore, where both Debra and I were David’s guests at an event promoting War Is A Lie, his compelling new book, and a manifesto for a war-free America. This was the first time I had met David, after years of correspondence between us, and it was great to spend time with him, and also to meet so many committed activists in the Baltimore area.

For the event in the evening, at the Barnes & Noble branch near John Hopkins University, a large and lively crowd enthusiastically welcomed the presentation of an award to Bill Hughes, an indefatigable activist who films everything that takes place in the Baltimore/Washington D.C. Area, and after a choir sang the old gospel song, “Down by the Riverside” (aka “Ain’t Gonna Study War No More”) — which struck all of us as something that should happen more often — David talked about his book, I discussed Guantánamo, and Debra spoke about the work of The World Can’t Wait, and I’m delighted that videos of my talk and of David’s presentation, are available below, via YouTube (here and here).

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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Andy Worthington and Andy Worthington. Andy Worthington said: Video: In Baltimore, Andy Worthington on Why Obama Has Failed to Close #Guantanamo, and David Swanson on “War Is A Lie” http://bit.ly/hQ9EJ7 […]

Very funny, Mike. Thanks for the supportive words for myself, David and Debra. It was a great event, it was wonderful to meet so many excellent people, and, yes, I will also carry away with me the memory of that young woman at the bar (in the restaurant where we and others met before the event) hearing me speak in my, er, pretty damn obvious English accent, and asking me, “Are you from Germany?” That’s the funniest thing since a waiter in Sri Lanka many years ago asked me and my Scottish wife if we were Japanese.

Japanese? That’s even crazier than German. So this is becoming a pattern with you? What ever happened to asking open questions, “Where are you from?” as opposed to venturing ridiculous guesses?

Seriously, thank you so much for sharing your insights with us. As you pointed out, the entire Gitmo operation has been a travesty. Compounding the paranoid cynicism, holding those who are known to pose no threat is a monumental outrage

Once a nation makes an official report declaring people in custody deserve release, there can be no excuse for holding them. Doing so is a systematic, premeditated, ongoing human right violation.

Here’s an excellent message sent to my great friend Debra Sweet of The World Can’t Wait, after we were the guests of David Swanson In Baltimore on January 10, as part of my US tour to call for the closure of Guantanamo on the 9th anniversary of the prison’s opening:

Debra,

I watched both you and Andy give talks to Baltimore on Monday. Andy and I are facebook friends and I have his books…and have supported the fight against the concentration camp called Guantanamo…a place of the greatest shame ever to smear the US history. Sadly I have to wait 107 days before the publication of War is a Lie by David Swanson in the UK but I have bought my advance copy.

I watch with gathering horror at what is being done to the Palestinians whose land is being stolen by law under the jackboot of Israeli law, of the massacre of so many innocent lives in both Iraq and Afghanistan, of the UK’s complicity in the illegal rendition (kidnap?) of so called terror suspects and of the USA and the UK’s unholy alliance in fermenting war for oil and calling it a righteous war on terror. I despair sometimes but stay strong knowing we have the right…I write poetry for peace sites and yet my youngest son is in his final run-up to deployment to Afghanistan with his regiment where he will face unknown dangers and become part of the greatest criminal act of deception that has ever been perpetrated in the name of freedom.

And slowly the peace movement here in Carlisle UK is growing as war fatigue and the endless stream of coffins return home and so many more return injured beyond our worst nightmares. Sixty of us took part in the World March for Peace and Nonviolence event I organised a year ago…slowly we are growing in numbers…this year I showed the Day After Peace on Peace One Day in a local centre and I read some hard hitting poems to our Mayor.

Our voice is so puny against the roar for war
but still we must say in a quiet way “Peace”
and I wish and wish that I could do more
to help the overdue Guantanamo release.

Thank you for showing us that we belong to something bigger, something greater than ourselves, and something that win in the end win. Your voice adds to all the other voices of reason till we in turn become that roar.

Blessings on all you do.

David Gould

Return from Guantanamo

Somewhere between the truth
and its victims,
lies the semi truths
we will never ever be told.
Somewhere in a land of secrecy,
of clouded wit
those trapped by a freedom,
held in iron chains,
shackled by manacles,
not seeing the glimmers
of each new day
that turns its shadow,
within its sheltered path:
they supine,
lost within the pain
of never knowing
that they are missed and gone.

We cannot know
all the reasons they were held,
nor ever can anyone tell:
trapped within systems;
of secrets, enigmas,
cryptograms, confidentialities,
of state mysteries,
double bluffs and just plain lies.
Innocence spread
upon the altars of democracy,
rarely seeing the charge
against them to defend.
How can we defend
such actions in our names;
these miscarriages of justice,
that most of us
just choose not to see?

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Investigative journalist, author, campaigner, commentator and public speaker. Recognized as an authority on Guantánamo and the “war on terror.” Co-founder, Close Guantánamo, co-director, We Stand With Shaker. Also, singer and songwriter (The Four Fathers) and photographer. Email Andy Worthington